M & S Rare Books of Providence, Rhode Island, has issued their Catalogue Ninety-Two of Early American Literature, Medicine & Science, and Thought, Reform & History. In other words, there is a lot of early Americana here, with the highest concentration coming from the 19th century. There are long and short forms of printed material, from books to broadsides, and a substantial number of manuscript items, including personal letters. There are many items you will recognize, others are obscure. Some are real gems. Here are some examples of the over 450 items that are offered within these pages. ...
Shapero Rare Books of London has issued a catalogue of 50 Fine Books 2012. These books are “fine” in the sense that they are beautiful books or related items, works of art as well as function. Most...
The William Reese Company is noted for offering rare books in the field of Americana. This latest catalogue is still overwhelmingly Americana, and the items extremely rare as they are unique, but t...
The Ten Pound Island Book Company has issued their Maritime List 210. This is a new collection of works pertaining or related to the sea. Ships, fish, whales, yachts, pirates, navies, explorations,...
Donald Heald Rare Books has issued A Selection of Fine Books and Manuscripts. These truly are fine books, a catalogue of 100 items filled with works of importance. The catalogue is divided into fiv...
Sophie Schneideman Rare Books is offering a catalogue of The Ashendene Press Collection of Clarence B. Hanson, Jr. We will get to Ashendene in a moment. Clarence Hanson was a newspaperman, publishe...
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books recently issued their catalogue No. 125 Rare Americana. Lesser focuses primarily on shorter form material related to America, from a little before the Revolut...
Samuel Gedge Ltd. Rare Books has now published their Catalogue XII. Gedge's catalogue is hardly limited to books. It is filled primarily with manuscripts and ephemeral items. What is common to the ...
Whitmore Rare Books has published their Catalogue 5. The Altadena, California, bookseller specializes in “literary first editions and other books of merit.” To that, we will add that most of these ...
Henry Sotheran Limited, also known as Sotheran's, has released their Spring Miscellany 2012. What can one say about a miscellany, other than that it is a miscellany? It is not the type of catalogue...
This month we follow up on the first installment of the latest series of Civil War catalogues from the George S. MacManus Company. This one, quite naturally, is called Civil War II. It is the secon...
Martayan Lan of New York City has published their Catalogue 46, Fine Antique Maps, Globes, City Plans & Views. This catalogue begins with a series of very old maps of the world, displaying early di...
Plaza Books has prepared their List 33. Plaza specializes in Latin American works, with Mexico and Central America predominant. Dates range from the 17th to the 20th century, the languages found ar...
Aleph-Bet Books has issued their Catalogue 101 of Children's Books & Illustrated Books. That heading on the cover, “Nonsense Nonsense!,” is not the title of the catalogue. That is a 110-year-old bo...
Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books has issued their latest selection, Catalogue 146. Travel & Exploration. It is filled with works of historical significance as well as more obscure titles. The trav...
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.